(Reuters) - Israeli naval forces intercepted a cargo ship in the
Mediterranean on Sunday and troops have boarded the vessel for
a "security check", military sources said.

Israel routinely patrols the seas for ships suspected of carrying
weapons destined for Palestinian militants. A year ago Israel seized
a cargo ship it said held Iranian-supplied arms intended for the
Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The official said so far "nothing outstanding has been found" on the
ship, and declined to provide details, describing the interception
as "routine protection of our territorial waters".

An Israeli military source said the ship was seized about 160 miles
off the Israeli coast, and that troops were conducting a "very
thorough search of its cargo".

In the earlier searborne interception in March 2011, Israel said the
vessel it seized had set sail from Syria, had stopped in Turkey and
had been destined for Alexandria in Egypt.